


That horribel woman

by Letmespeak



Category: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder - Lutvak/Freedman
Genre: F/F, Monty/sibella/phoebe is discussed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 02:42:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13561011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Letmespeak/pseuds/Letmespeak
Summary: My take on how Sibella and Phoebe hatched out the plan for "That horrible woman"





	That horribel woman

The only sound Sibella could hear was the one of gentle rain hitting the celling. She was sitting in an arm chair by the window, not the big one because that was Lionel's chair. She was sitting in the slightly smaller grey one that Lionel had bought for her when they got married. The addition of the chair was the only thing in Lionel's house that changed after she married him. Sibella knew that the only reason he bought it to her was that he hated when people sat in his chair, even when he wasn't around. When Lionel was out of town and Monty was over he sat in that chair. Sibella felt some sort of satisfaction when she saw her lover in her husband's chair. But, now Lionel is sleeping upstairs and Monty is in a prison cell, fate truly is cruel. 

Sibella' thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Who could that be? Sibella wondered. It was nearly midnight and Sibella knew that Lionel didn't except guests. 

"Who is it?" Sibella asked. 

"Mrs Navarro" said a familiar voice.

Sibella froze. The cousin, no, the wife... 

"Mrs Navarro, I will open in a moment" Sibella looked around the room, was it presentibal? 

She smoothed her clothes and her hair with her hands. It was the same outfit she had worn in court earlier, it had to be good enough. 

Sibella took a deep breath before going to open the door. 

Sibella barley recognized the woman outside her door. Phoebe was wearing a black cloak over her clothes, her makeup was running possibly because of the rain, but her eyes were red. Had she been crying? 

"Is your husband home?" Phoebe's voice was strained. Her eyes glanced around her when she spoke like she was terrified of anyone hearing her. 

"Lionel?" Sibella was puzzled, "he is upstairs." 

"I know about you and Monty" Sibella's blood froze, was that why she was here to tell Lionel about her affair? 

She could try and deny it, but it would have been pointless Monty had obviously told her and if not Sibella's expression of pure fear must have given it away. 

"It ended after he got engaged to you," Sibella tried to keep her voice neutral, "it is a thing of the past."

"I know," Phoebe said, "come to Highhurst tomorrow afternoon at four o'clock. Use the servant's entrance."

Sibella nodded before closing the door. Through the window she watched Phoebe D'ysquith-Navarro leave.

-

Sibella knocked on the door to the servant quarters at Highhurst castle. A elderly woman opened the door. 

"Are you her to meet the countess?" The woman asked. 

"Yes."

"Follow me," the elderly woman lead her up the stairs. 

"The countess say you are a friend of the earl?" The elderly woman didn't look at Sibella as she spoke. 

"Yes, childhood friends actually," Sibella thought back to the days she and Monty had spent together as little children. Who would have thought they would end up here? 

"Then I figure you knew his mother?" Sibella noted the hopeful way the question had been asked. Sibella can remember Monty's mother, but she didn't know her that much.  "A little, she was a kind woman."

They had finally reached the main hall. Sibella recognized it from the last time she had been here. Phoebe was standing by the dinner table. She looked different from the evening before. She was wearing a long sleeved royal blue dress and rings on both of her hands. The woman Sibella had seen yesterday reminded her of a beggar  the woman in front of her looked exactly like what the wife of an earl should look. The facade was broken by a warm smile. 

"Mrs Holland! How wonderful it is to see you!" Phoebe said. Her enthusiasm was infectious and Sibella had to fight a smile. 

"Countess Navarro," Sibella tried to keep her voice cold. It didn't affect Phoebe it seemed. Her smile was just as wide. 

"Please call me Phoebe," Phoebe said, "Miss Shingle can you be so kind to get us some tea? 

"Of course," Miss Shingle replied before leaving the two women alone. Sibella didn't know where to look in the room. 

"I'm so terrible sorry you had to use the servant's entrance-" Phoebe sat down at the large mahogany table "-it is just that people have been camped outside the main entrance ever since Monty's arrest. I didn't want them to hound you, Mrs Holland. You ar-"

"Call me Sibella," Sibella interrupted. Phoebe's eyes lit up for a moment. 

"You are a welcomed guest in my home and I would never do anything on purpose to make you feel unwelcomed," Phoebe said. She sounded so sincere that Sibella couldn't help, but feel grateful. She quickly snatched out of it and remembered why she was here. This woman came to her house the night before and revealed that she knew Sibella's secret. The one secret that could unravel Sibella's life Lionel would divorce her not to mention she would suddenly have been a suspect in the murder of Lord Adalbert D'ysquith. Sibella decided to cut to the chase. 

"What is it you want with me? Why am I here? What is it that you couldn't tell me at my house?" Sibella grew more and more annoyed with all of Phoebe's pleasantries.

"The reason why I didn't want to talk at your home is the same reason why I didn't want you to go through the main gate this meeting has to be secret for the plan to work," Phoebe explained. 

"We can't talk in my house because of my husband, but your servant is trustworthy?" Sibella was upset without reason now.

"Monty said you didn't like your husband?"  Phoebe seemed interested in Sibella's answer. Sibella hated the way Phoebe looked at her like she was a mystery she could solve.

Before Sibella could answer Miss Shingle came into the room with the tea. She placed it on the table and quickly left the room.

"The reason why Miss Shingle is here is because she loves Monty as a son and wants him out of prison as much as we do," Phoebe explained, "she would never reveal our plan to anyone."

"Which plan?" Sibella was tired of all of these vague answers. 

"Our plan to get Monty out of prison, my dear." 

Sibella sat down at the table and started processing what Phoebe was saying. 

"My brother was not a very bright man, but he was kind and always gay and happy," Phoebe's eyes had a look in them that Sibella couldn't recognize, "my parents of course wouldn't recognize that. They always pushed him to do things he wasn't interested in like study law." 

"I'm sorry but I don't see why this is relevant," Sibella said harshly. Phoebe just ignored her and continued speaking. 

"He stopped after my parents died and took up bee keeping instead. But, he kept the law books. Thick complicated old books that I started reading for fun. They were pretty dull, but I picked up a thing or two. For example I learned that you can't convict someone with reasonable doubt." 

Sibella looked at Phoebe astonished. This was not what she had expected of her. Sibella had thought of the woman who stole Monty as way as a boring old maid with a stick up her ass, sort of a female Lionel. But, her she was in front of her intelligent and kind. 

"We will both write a letter admitting to the murder. We will deliver the letter to the authorities, we insist we didn't do it together or together with Monty therefore creating reasonable doubt," Phoebe explained, "then they will have to set Monty free." 

"And after," Sibella asked, "after this he is released what happens then?" 

"He told me he loved you," Phoebe said. Sibella froze a little, that is usually not something you tell your wife. 

"I love him, I like to believe he loves me too," Phoebe continued. 

Sibella nearly scoffed she had seen the way Monty looked at Phoebe of course he loved her. 

"I wouldn't want to keep my husband away from someone that makes him happy. Also you are an amazing woman Sibella and I would like to think that if we got to know each other outside these circumstances we are in we could become fond of each other," Phoebe said before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on Sibella's lips. It was short and sweet. Phoebe started to pull away, but Sibella didn't let her. She cupped the other woman's face and deepened the kiss. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am not a native English speaker please tell me if you find any mistakes. Leave a comment and kudos if you liked it please!


End file.
